DLBP
Urban Planning and Land Entitlement Consultants
DLBP is an experienced urban planning and land entitlement consultancy, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and London, England, established since 2010.
We advise property owners, developers, investors, lenders on urban planning and land entitlement, then implement that advice, typically through preparing applications and securing permission, to enable value to be enhanced and development to proceed.
We advise during property acquisition and disposal, helping buyers and sellers know property potential and constraints.
Our differentiated approach
Our experience has led us to develop a clear approach to zoning and permitting. We advise our clients on enhancing their initial plans throughout the engagement and rezoning process, so that the resulting rezoned property better reflects current and future community needs while delivering higher development value.
Atlanta Office
DLBP LLC
2727 Paces Ferry Road SE
Suite 1625
Atlanta, GA 30339
United States
+1 (470) 421 5170
dominiclawson@dlbp.us
London Office
DLBP Ltd
20 St Dunstan’s Hill
London, EC3R 8HL
United Kingdom
+44 20 3713 8500
matthewjohnson@dlbp.uk
Our Track Record
We Deliver Certainty
We are urban planning and land entitlement consultants, who are dedicated to helping our clients realize their visions, advocating for their projects and making them a reality through collaboration and creativity.
We have a track record of hundreds of projects, with permission secured in 97% of cases.
Our flexible approach allows for a highly personalized planning advice service which can react quickly to client and project needs.
We have long-term current clients, such as Grace of Georgia Developments, Panoz, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Columbia Threadneedle, Patron Capital, Care UK, Jewish Care, Artemis Land and Agriculture, Ramsbury Manor Foundation, Upspace, Salon Privé, Treasure House Fair and Leap24.
We are trusted by property owners and developers, both large and small, institutions, individuals, often high profile, as well as those wishing to protect their property assets.
Our Planning Awards
DLBP is delighted to be nominated for Planning Consultant of the Year at the upcoming HealthInvestor Senior Housing Awards 2024. We are also delighted to have been a finalist for Planning Consultancy of the Year at the Planning Awards 2024.
This followed us having been proud finalists for Planning Consultancy of the Year at the Planning Awards, Small Planning Consultancy of the Year at the RTPI London Planning Awards for Excellence, and Property Consultant of the Year at the LaingBuisson Awards in 2023.
Services we provide include:
Entitlements:
We help our clients obtain the necessary permits and approvals to increase the value of property and enable development or other changes to proceed. We work with our clients to ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible.
We prepare and facilitate all entitlement documentation, evidence and applications, including any appeals. We provide an after-care service through construction and/or sale, to ensure compliance is fully documented and to deal with changes or additions as the project progresses.
Public and political engagement:
We represent our clients at public hearings and community meetings where necessary, especially for larger and more controversial proposals, advocating for proposals from initial consultation to approval.
We ensure all stakeholders are kept abreast of changes and updates and that they understand any project implications. Our experts leverage various tools, technologies, and communication methods to ensure public feedback is gathered, recorded, and addressed appropriately.
Due diligence and feasibility research:
When our clients come to us with a vision for their project, our first step is to conduct an assessment of the site, consisting of a policy review and researching the planning history of the site to establish the feasibility of the project and its prospects for success. We use this research to develop a strategy for our clients to achieve their vision or to suggest alternative approaches which would likely have a greater prospect of success for the site in question. We also assist clients in the site selection process by conducting data-driven market research.
Consultant management:
We work hand-in-hand with other disciplines such as architects, landscape architects, master planners, transportation planners, ecologists, archaeologists, historic building advisors, and other technical consultants to make certain the project requirements are being met. When the client brings in another consultant, our team makes sure to bring them up to speed and provide them with all necessary information they need to complete their work. And when necessary, we can recommend professionals we have worked with in the past – reputable professionals who we trust.
We specialize in providing planning advice for:
Senior living
Changing demographics and a wider recognition of the importance of accommodation for older people is making this an increasingly notable sector we work in.
We have secured permission for over 2,726 units at 34 locations.
In the UK we are the leading planning consultancy for securing planning permission for elderly care and nursing homes.
Since January 2021 alone we have achieved planning consent for 1,169 senior living units. DLBP also has over a thousand units in the pipeline.
We have an in-depth understanding of specific requirements which influence layout and design. It is this in-depth understanding that allows us to maximize the prospects of success in achieving consents for high-quality accommodation that is fit-for-purpose, allowing older people to continue living dignified lives in their local communities, close to their families.
High value new homes
DLBP has secured permission for over 7,600 new homes. We have been at the forefront of airspace development as well as office to residential conversions.
Our team are adept at negotiating and advising on the intricacies of the planning challenges raised by these types of sites.
Country homes
DLBP has a deep understanding of policies relating to development in rural locations.
Communities
The team at DLBP has worked on proposals from 100 – 5,500 new homes, often with commercial and other uses.
Our Team
Devynn Glanz
Senior Planner
Master of Urban and Environmental Planning
Bachelor of Science, Urban Planning
+1 (302) 573-0268
devynnglanz@dlbp.us
Devynn Glanz joined DLBP in April 2023 after graduating from Arizona State University with a Masters Degree in Urban and Environmental Planning and a certificate in sustainability. She was promoted to Senior Planner in 2024.
Devynn provides advice to clients, researching policy, creating plans and maps, helping to prepare applications, organizing community consultation, formulating development proposals, and in managing other consultants such as traffic engineers and land planners.
Dominic Lawson
President
American Certified Planner (American Institute of Certified Planners, AICP)
UK Chartered Planner (Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, MRTPI)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Batchelor of Science and Postgraduate Diploma, City and Regional Planning
+1 (470) 421-5170
dominiclawson@dlbp.us
As the President of DLBP, Dominic leads DLBP’s team of urban planning and zoning specialists, who advise real estate owners, developers, investors, and funders on how to get things built in complex and challenging contexts. Dominic founded DLBP in London, UK, in 2010, and expanded to Atlanta, GA, in 2023.
With over 25 years of experience in the field of land use and development, Dominic has a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes for hundreds of projects, ranging from individual homes to whole new towns and urban regeneration schemes. Dominic is passionate about creating planned communities that are sustainable, livable, and respectful of their heritage and environment. Some of the highlights of his career include being the retained urban planning advisor to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, since 2010, and achieving an MBA with Distinction from Trinity College Dublin in 2023.
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Dominic holds a Batchelor of Science (with Honors) and a postgraduate Diploma (with Distinction), both in City and Regional Planning from Cardiff University.
Prior to founding DLBP, Dominic was a Partner at leading UK property consultancy Montagu Evans (until 2010), an Associate at another leading UK firm David Lock Associates (until 2004), a Senior Regeneration Consultant at prominent non-profit campaign group the Civic Trust (until 2001), and a Planning Officer at the London Borough of Brent (until 1998).
Anthony Gajadharsingh
Vice-President, DLBP and Principal of Greene Lawson Advisors
Chartered Company Secretary and Associate of the Chartered Governance Institute
1+ (470) 421-5123
anthonygajadharsingh@dlbp.us
Anthony is co-owner and board member at DLBP, and he is principal of Greene Lawson Advisors, which is a division of DLBP that provides M&A and strategic business planning advice to US private equity firms focused on acquiring industrial automation targets, see www.greenelawsonadvisors.com for more detail.
Prior to Greene Lawson Advisors, Anthony served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Company Secretary for Dematic Group SARL, a then $4bn logistics automation provider, in Luxembourg and the UK.
Anthony also served in numerous senior executive roles for Invensys plc, a FTSE 100 company, his last role being Chief of Staff of the Group reporting to the Group CEO. Anthony was also Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee of the £4.5bn Invensys Pension Scheme.
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In 2010 Anthony stood for the UK Parliament as a candidate for the Labour Party and was for four years Chairman of the Trustees of Peter Tatchell Foundation, a leading UK based human rights registered charity
Testimonials
“I am hugely grateful to your company, as working with you gives me a sense of confidence on the planning front, which for me is incredibly important.”
Jewish Care.
“This is awesome and great news, which I wasn’t expecting so is even better news. Many thanks for your work on this.”
Hamberley Development and Hamberley Care Homes.
"Dominic Lawson Bespoke Planning truly live up to the 'bespoke' in their name. They provide a highly focused, efficient and responsive service which combines sound strategy with careful attention to detail, delivered by people who really know and care about what they are doing; they are as far from a soulless corporate machine as one can get. I enjoy working with them hugely and am very impressed by them. Every member of the team is first class and Dominic is an excellent expert witness. I cannot recommend them too highly. I commend them to you."
Christopher Katkowski KC, Kings Chambers.
“Thank you all so much for your determination to see this across the line on behalf of the Royal Hospital and Salon Privé.”
Nicky Mott MBE, CWIFM, MCMI, Director Estates, Facilities (Quartermaster) at Royal Hospital Chelsea.
"Such welcome news and thank you for all of the support (and teaching) you have given to me over the past 5/6 months. It is a great relief to have this approval."
Masterpiece.
“I was very impressed with your comprehensive, diligent and knowledgeable approach.”
Private Client.
“Throughout, I found you great to work with: very easy and open exchange of ideas, never felt rushed, great suggestions and quality of writing, always available and responsive.”
Private Client.
Our Commitment to
Corporate Social Responsibility
We hold ourselves accountable for our social, environmental, and economic impacts on the people and places we operate and commit to always operating in a responsible manner.
We also work in a such a way which assists our clients in achieving their own CSR commitments.
We aim to reduce our impact on the environment in our day-to-day operations and work with our clients to implement best practices which minimize any negative environmental impacts, whilst having a positive social impact on the built environment. Our local community is important to us, and we take each opportunity to engage with and make positive contributions to our area, such as providing local jobs and being a good neighbor.
Employees and Careers
We aspire to have the best team around and work hard with all our team members to help them deliver their personal goals. The success of the DLBP is built on the quality of our people, they are committed to the success of our clients.
We encourage on the job training through exposure to interesting and challenging work and key projects, providing opportunities for our staff to advance within DLBP through personal growth, internal progression and promotion. We invest in our people’s technical and business skills. For example, we conduct regular continued professional development both in person and virtually, and host an annual trip to a global city which has demonstrated excellence in planning.
Since 2010 we have stood and always will stand in condemnation of discrimination in the workplace. We are committed to creating a diverse employment environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.
Current Career Opportunities
Current Career Opportunities
Location: our beautiful office in Vinings, Atlanta.
We are looking for talented urban planners (AICP or graduates from planning degrees) who:
- are bright, motivated, professional, positive attitude;
- have and/or want to obtain demonstrable experience of challenging planning projects, including meeting or exceeding expectations;
- are looking to progress to a more senior role with greater responsibilities;
- are commercial, with knowledge of how to deliver excellent client service;
- have and/or want to develop a strong network in the real estate/property industry, including client and consultant contacts, and a plan of how to develop new business with support from the DLBP team; and
- are friendly, hardworking and happy.
If you are interested, please email Dominic Lawson dominiclawson@dlbp.us - we look forward to hearing from you.
Case Study: Spring Lake Village
90 single family active adult over 55 community, Cobb County, Georgia
Client:
Grace of Georgia Properties LLC
Land planner:
DGM Land Planning Consultants Inc
Local government:
unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia
Project size:
90 detached single family homes for over 55s on 41.45 acres, of which 35.52 developable (remainder in flood plain), with communal clubhouse, pickleball courts and 16.9 acres of open space.
Project objective:
to secure rezoning for senior living 55+ community (RSL zoning), contrary to provisions of Cobb County Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map.
How DLBP added value:
Achieved rezoning to RSL to allow for 90 over 55s single family homes, without onerous conditions.
Density of development secured at 2.53 homes per developable acre, in face of Comprehensive Plan limitation 1.75 homes per acre.
Rezoning secured at the fastest pace allowed by Cobb County procedures - there were no delays or deferrals.
Application for rezoning prepared and submitted to Cobb County within two months of client instruction.
DLBP managed entire process for client, including dealing with land planning consultants and traffic consultants.
No need for a zoning attorney – DLBP dealt with all matters including presenting to the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners.
DLBP prepared Environmental Site Assessment, Planning Opinion, Planning Statement, Letter of Stipulations, all forms and certificates.
DLBP organized led community engagement, including open-house event with local residents and the District Commissioner.
DLBP led engagement with the District Commissioner and County staff, ensuring District Commissioner support for the development.
